Random goodness

Written by Bhakta Nandan
Morning Class – Srimad Bhagavatam 9.19.11
Following on from the last Bhagavatam class Maharaj gave at the Manor, in this verse King Yayati gives an allegorical story of a … more

The Gopis Love – no self interest?

Ramananda Raya was such a devotee, because Ramananda Raya, he understood the pure love that the Gopis had for Krishna. He was able to explain that and he explained how it was completely selfless and how in their worship there was nothing like:
“Give me”
“Bless, please bless my house”
“Bless my family, bless my this, bless my that, bless my car…Lord while you’re blessing may You as well bless everything.”

No, nothing like that! The Gopis, they couldn’t care less about their own things, they had no self-interest at all…………..

“Well, Well is that true Maharaja, is that true? You know, when Akrura came, he came to Vrndavana with his chariot to take Krishna and Balarama to Mathura, isn’t it so? And Krishna and Balarama stood on that chariot and they were laughing and it really looked like they wanted to go. Everyone was in shock. Yashoda was totally shocked, totally shocked!
The cowherd boys were lying unconscious in the forest and the Gopis were grabbing the reins and said: “He cannot go!” But Akrura, being a powerful Kyshatria, just drove away, leaving the residents of Vrinadavana broken hearted in separation.
And Vrindavana just shrivelled up, the Yamuna dried up and everyone was just broken hearted. Why? If Krishna wanted to go to Mathura why didn’t the Gopis dance in front of the chariot? If they loved Him so much, if they were totally surrendered to Him, and they loved Him completely, they should have danced, they should have been happy, ‘O.K. we are going to Mathura’ ‘Jay! Jay, jay, going to Mathura!’ They should have danced in front of him. ‘Yes, if that makes Krishna happy, it makes us happy! We have no other desire than the happiness of Krishna. Wherever He wants to go.’ Isn’t it?”
But it looks like these Gopis had some selfish desire after all, because they wanted to keep Krishna in Vrndavana for themselves. When Krishna was going off to Mathura, they knew very well, that these ladies of Mathura are very sophisticated, “We are never going to see Him again” It looks like that doesn’t it?”
No! That was not the reason, it was not jealousy! That was not the reason, it was not selfishness! Then what was it?
What it was, was that the Gopis knew, the Gopis knew very well:
“Krishna has gone mad. He has lost it. He has lost it! He has totally gone mad! He is leaving Vrndavana! He is insane! He is hurting Himself now, because outside of Vrndavana, He cannot be happy. Therefore we cannot let Him go! We cannot let Him fall prey to this madness; we must save Him and stop Him from leaving Vrndavana, because only in Vrndavana, this is the only place where He can be happy.”

And in this way, the Gopis were completely selfless even when they stopped the chariot of Akrura.
There was no self-interest. Amazing!
Ramananda Roy understood this topmost love and explained it to be the highest, the highest devotional service.